Kilmarnock

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "We've not had too many bad days at the office in the last wee while. We're not used to losing here and certainly not in that manner.

"We didn't deal with the front two and we were unnecessarily anxious. I can talk all day long about schedules and the rest of it, but there's still an emphasis to do the job right and we gave ourselves a real uphill task.

"Joe got sent off - an experienced defender making poor decisions - and he's beside himself and apologetic and he feels as if he's done us in. It was so much more difficult.

"It was St Johnstone's day today. We lick our wounds, we have to move on from this quickly. I believe we'll pick up on league form as we go through the season. There's still a trust in what we're doing.

"We're certainly going to have to defend better than what we have done. The Celtic game was different, they're a totally different animal. Today we played a part in losing all three goals and that's something we'll have to get better at.

"The biggest drain in our confidence is losing cheap goals, and that's not something you've been able to aim at us. The reason we're playing in Europe is because we've defended a lot stronger than that, more robustly. We need to get back to being that.

"I was really pleased with the second-half. We showed good energy, fitness and togetherness. We tried to get that goal and in the main we were good. It's hard to find too many positives."

An Adama Sidibeh double helped St Johnstone coast past 10-man Kilmarnock at Rugby Park to pick up their first win of the new Premiership season.

Sidibeh's strikes sandwiched Joe Wright's red card, as the defender was sent off after two yellows in the opening 16 minutes.

It got worse for Kilmarnock in the second-half when they were denied a penalty before conceding one two minutes later, with Benjamin Kimpioka converting.

What did you make of that, Kilmarnock fans? What's happened to your once sturdy defence?

How big an impact is Europe having?

Let us know your thoughts here., external

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Derek McInnes' side only conceded 44 goals last season, with only the Old Firm and Hearts letting in fewer. They've coughed up seven after two games this term.

That does not include the soft goals given away in Europe either. Club Bruges and Tromso both benefitted from gift-wrapped presents from the Kilmarnock defence.

So, what's happened? Joe Wright, Stuart Findlay, Lewis Mayo and Robbie Deas all impressed last season, to the point that McInnes found it hard to drop any of his centre-backs.

His recruitment this summer has backed that up. He's re-signed solid left-back Corrie Ndaba, who is not yet fit, and Sunderland loanee Oliver Bainbridge - another left-back.

The rest of the defence he seemed happy with. Now, the Killie boss might be looking at the transfer market in the final few weeks for some defensive reinforcements.

Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Wright, Deas, Findlay, Armstrong, McKenzie, Watson, Lyons, Murray, Vassell, Cameron.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Mayo, Kennedy, Mackay-Steven, Anderson, Watkins, Wales, Polworth, Bainbridge.

St Johnstone: Rae, Neilson, Sanders, Cameron, Raymond, Wright, MacPherson, Essel, M Smith, Sidibeh, Kimpioka.

Substitutes: Sinclair, Clark, Carey, C Smith, Sprangler, McPake, Kirk, Olufunwa, Franczak.

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Marley Watkins remains a doubt for Kilmarnock with a groin problem while Kyle Magennis and Corrie Ndaba are just off featuring.

St Johnstone defender Sam McClelland is facing a lengthy lay-off after rupturing his Achilles against Aberdeen on Monday.

David Keltjens has a chance of returning after missing the Dons game with an ankle knock but Uche Ikpeazu (knee) is still out.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes says he will make changes in order to keep his squad fresh as he juggles European and domestic commitments.

Kilmarnock play the second leg of their Conference League third qualifying tie against Tromso on Thursday, but they first take on St Johnstone at Rugby Park on Sunday.

McInnes started a makeshift defence in the 4-0 defeat to Celtic last week, and while he has more players available to him this weekend, he says he will not risk players' fitness.

"Big (Craig) Levein (St Johnstone manager) will be rubbing his hands," McInnes said. "It's natural, I’ve done it myself when we have played teams after they have played in Europe.

"But we've been at home, so it’s not as arduous as obviously last week when we had an away trip, half three bed and then an away trip at Celtic Park.

"Now it's a home game, we will recover, the boys don’t have to travel too far.

"We'll see where everybody's at and try to utilise the squad. It's impossible for the same 11 to keep going out and doing what we need to do at this stage of the season. It's difficult enough when you are up to speed.

"But I've got a squad there. It's important to try and utilise it. The only place that I'm not overly blessed is defence, but everywhere else I have got options and we'll see how everybody sits for Sunday.

"But it's the first home game of the season in the league and it's important that we are good enough to get the job done."

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• Kilmarnock have won both of their last two league meetings with St Johnstone, last winning three in a row versus the Saints in August 2018.

• St Johnstone have only lost two of their last seven league trips to Kilmarnock (W3 D2), although one of those was their most recent, a 2-1 defeat in December 2023.

• Kilmarnock have only won their opening home game in two of their last 13 top-flight league campaigns (D5 L6), although one of those was last season, beating Rangers 1-0.

• St Johnstone have won their first away league match in just one of the last six seasons (D2 L3), beating Motherwell 2-1 in 2022-23.

• St Johnstone boss Craig Levein has lost his last four Scottish Premiership matches against Kilmarnock. However, his last four top-flight wins as a manager against Killie have all come at Rugby Park, most recently with Hearts in February 2019 (2-1).

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 2-2 draw with Tromso in the Conference League qualifier at Rugby Park.

Here's what some of you said:

Marwan: We should have won, sloppy defending, we should have had a penalty, and we missed a lot of chances.

Stephen: We were awful, the goals we conceded were embarrassing, including one from our own corner. Derek McInnes has done well, but he clearly prefers physicality over mobility and finesse and we're never going to win these sort of games without creativity. The lack of a playmaker makes us so one dimensional and without a plan B. Tromso are bang average too.

Kenny: Liam Polworth and Liam Donnelly are a complete joke, Brad Lyons does nothing and plays in an unknown, unidentifiable position and has no influence on the game. Lewis Mayo is a problem constantly and is the weakest link in that defence. We need to get a proper right-back, these boys are needing a solid bench. Absolutely sick of Kyle Vassell falling constantly.

Robert: We were abject again, so naive at the second goal. It was definitely a penalty, and superb for Bobby Wales, also time for Gary Mackay-Steven, Fraser Murray and David Watson to start games.

Adam: Kilmarnock seemed to stop playing after they scored, and who decides who the man of the match was? Vassell scored a goal in six minutes and did nothing the rest of the game.

Jim: Well that's the end of our European escapade. Can someone tell me what Donnelly actually does for the team as I can't see anything other than panic every time he is involved in play. We don't have a midfield, our defence is fragile and we have very little up front, there's not a lot to look forward to. What has happened at Rugby Park?

Eddie: Really poor tactically, if we knew how they used their keeper why did we have no plan? Donnelly and Polworth were particularly poor, why did it take so long to make a change? McInnes proving he is tactically naive again.

Garry: A shocking performance against a bang average team. We have Scotland's young player of the year sitting on the bench behind three midfielders who are not up to it. Cash in now on Danny Armstrong, the boy isn't interested in being with us, he believes his own hype. Team selection and formation was bewildering from the start.

Bobby Wales was "ecstatic" to score his first goal for boyhood club Kilmarnock on a raucous European night at Rugby Park.

The 19-year-old forward came off the bench to net an injury-time leveller in Thursday night's 2-2 draw with Tromso in the Conference League second qualifying round.

"If there was a game to get my goal it's this one with my dad watching from home, my mum and my girlfriend in the stands," Wales told BBC Scotland.

"Especially because it's an important goal going into next week and to have it in a European competition with my first touch of the ball and I think my only touch of the ball.

"It went in but it wasn't my cleanest strike. It doesn't matter how it went in, it's in the back of the net so I'm happy with that."

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Despite the elation of Kilmarnock's last-gasp equaliser, was the first-leg draw with Tromso ultimately a disappointment?

The lowly Norwegian side cancelled out Kyle Vassell's opener to lead 2-1 before Bobby Wales netted his first Killie goal in stoppage time to salvage a draw for the hosts.

It leaves the tie on a knife-edge for next Thursday's return leg

Ewan Paton, of the Killie Chronicle, told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "It does feel like a missed opportunity to get the first European win on home soil since 2001.

"The overriding feeling is a little bit of disappointment.

"Obviously, Kyle Vassell scores after a little over five minutes and you're thinking, right, come on, time to ramp this up a notch and we can go and score a few goals, hopefully. Tromso looked woefully short of being at that sort of level.

"Tromso started to build themselves back into the game without overly troubling Robby McCrorie. Then they scored twice within about 14 minutes and it really kind of became quite apparent that this could turn into a bit of a disaster.

"Thankfully Killie showed a lot of character and it was a dream come true for young Bobby Wales to score for his boyhood club, his first goal, especially in such a big game at Rugby Park.

"We know the tie is still alive but hopefully it's the kind of momentum change that's needed going into Norway in the second leg."

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes reacts to the 2-2 draw with Tromso, including an overturned penalty for his side and teenager Bobby Wales' late equaliser.

Bobby Wales scored his first Kilmarnock goal in added time to set up a winner-takes-all second leg with Tromso in the Conference League third qualifying round.

Kilmarnock had led early on through captain Kyle Vassell, but Tromso turned the match on its head thanks to goals from Jakob Napoleon Romsaas and Lasse Nordas.

Prior to Wales' dramatic leveller, Kilmarnock had been awarded a penalty when Joe Wright was clattered by goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard but referee Menelaos Antoniou overturned his decision following a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention.

It was up to 19-year-old Wales to save the day in the 92nd minute, sweeping home a loose ball from a corner to send Rugby Park into raptures.

Whoever progresses will play Copenhagen or Banik Ostrava in the play-off round, with the Danes leading 1-0 going into next week's second leg in the Czech Republic.

Let us know your thoughts on the game here, external.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "We're up against a good team here. It's difficult for people to understand. You don't see it in Scotland, a goalkeeper becoming that extra body for them. It disrupts your press.

"We tried as best we could. We lost a wee bit of confidence when they started to make a few passes. We needed to be better at looking after the ball when we won it.

"You've got to credit them. They're where we'll be in January, really up to game speed. You saw the spirit, determination and personality of the team that we didn't give it up.

"I thought we should have had a penalty. I don't see why that's overturned. I've seen it again, he [Haugaard] might get a little fraction of the ball but he's careered into Joe [Wright] with his fist. I'm surprised that's been overturned, the referee's decision was the right one.

"What a brilliant moment for [Bobby Wales]. He's doing really well. I love the kid, he's somebody who is going to do so well in his career. We want that to be here with us.

"It was fitting the way we finished the game. Despite not being as game-ready or as fit, it showed you a lot about what we are. Time and again last season, we never gave up.

"I can't have an interview without talking about the sloppiness of the goals. Both ragged, from counter-attack situations where we could do better. We've got to be braver.

"We looked a wee bit inexperienced, which leads to anxiety and we were all hands to the pump. We got a deserved equaliser."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Kilmarnock’s grit is well-known to Scottish football fans, but this comeback was still one of the more surprising ones in Derek McInnes’ catalogue.

Tromso didn’t exactly dominate in large spells, but they seemed more comfortable in possession and slightly more threatening.

Another surprise to Kilmarnock fans might be how soft the two goals they conceded were. This has been a worrying trait this season. Cercle’s goal at Rugby Park was entirely preventable and, while other teams will ship four goals away at Celtic Park this season, McInnes would have been irritated by the manner of defeat.

Tromso’s first goal was entirely preventable, a goal of Kilmarnock’s own making as they failed twice to just boot the ball away or show some composure to keep their foot on the ball. That soft centre needs addressed, and quickly.

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Bobby Wales. This wasn't a vintage Kilmarnock performance, so we'll give the credit to the youngster who saved them.

A first Killie goal for the striker who has come through their academy, he scored 12 goals in 27 games for Alloa Athletic in League One last season.

It will be hard to dislodge Kyle Vassell and Marley Watkins this season, and with Bruce Anderson brought in during the summer, Wales needs to make the most of his opportunities if he is to play a part this season.

Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Lyons, Wright, Mayo, Findlay, Armstrong, Donnelly, Polworth, Kennedy, Vassell, Anderson.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Deas, McKenzie, Watson, Mackay-Steven, Murray, Cameron, Wales, Brown, Brannan, Leslie, Bainbridge.

Tromso: Haugaard, A Jenssen, Guddal, Skjaervik, Paintsil, Antonsen, R Jenssen, Hjerto Dahl, Norheim, Nordas, Romsaas.

Substitutes: Thomas, Jensen, Cornic, Winther, Barry, Erlien, Johnsgard, Larsen, Nilsen, Psyche.

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Who better to give the lowdown on Tromso than David Weatherston?

The Scottish striker played out the final years of his career in Norway and is still based there, where he is clued up on all things Norwegian football.

Tromso, who are in Ayrshire for tonight's Conference League qualifier first leg with Kilmarnock, are 13th after 18 games in the Eliteserien.

Speaking to the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, Weatherston said: "I think it's a really even game.

"Tromso have struggled quite a lot this year, they had to change their manager in the winter. It was a real surprise that they managed to finish third in the league last year.

"Gaute Helstrup, the manager, left to join rivals Bodo/Glimt as the assistant and since then they've struggled to really get going this year.

"They've shown signs of life in the last two months. They're quite a young team with dots of experience around it, but they'll try and pass the ball through the lines.

"They've got some really exciting and talented young players - Napoleon Romsaas and Jens Hjerto-Dahl spring to mind.

"I've watched Killie a couple of times this year and there's not a lot between the two sides.

"I don't think there's a lot of goals in Tromso, they tend to keep things tight, back five. I think it's going to be quite a low-scoring tie over the two legs."

Brad Lyons says Kilmarnock must "back ourselves more" when "very tough opponent" Tromso visit Rugby Park on Thursday night.

Having dropped out of Europa League qualifying with a 2-1 loss to Cercle Bruges, Derek McInnes' side are now looking to reach the Conference League play-off round at the expense of Norwegians Tromso.

"The last couple of weeks playing in Europe - the amount of fans we brought, the atmosphere, playing different opponents - it's really exciting," said Northern Irish midfielder Lyons.

"Hopefully this time round we put a good performance in and get the right result.

"I think we’ve got to back ourselves more. In the first tie, you saw it. It was a very tight, competitive game and one wee mistake cost us the tie.

"As the gaffer said, we held a wee bit back. We were unsure. We’ve just got to back ourselves. We know what we’ve got in that team, we’ve just got to put it out on the pitch."

Tromso finished third in the Eliteserien last season, but are currently 13th - just one point above the relegation zone. Despite their drastic drop-off, Lyons is not underestimating the Norwegian outfit.

"We’ve done our homework on them, we’ve watched them," he said. "They can mix it up. They can go long when they want but they can also play really good football.

"They’ll be a very tough opponent. They’re maybe not doing so well this season but last season they qualified for Europe, so we know they have talent."

Keen for Killie's fresh European adventure to continue, Lyons gushed over the excitement and spectacle of continental football.

"We’re buzzing. This is what we love," he said. "Getting to travel to countries we’ve never played in and playing teams we probably never will again. It’s a great experience and hopefully we can keep going."

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Tromso co-head coach Gard Holme is ready for a "physical" battle at Rugby Park on Thursday.

The 39-year-old is aware of Killie's threat from the air and says his side must be ready to "fight" to progress to the next round.

"They're direct and have good wingers," said Holme.

"They're going to give us a good fight in the air. They are strong on set-pieces and long throws.

"If we can be up to the fight, we'll have good confidence that we can come through. Kilmarnock are a physical team. We have to be ready for that."

The Norwegian outfit come into the tie sitting a lowly 13th in the Eliteserien table, but results have picked up slightly after a disastrous start to the season - where they lost six of their first seven league games.

"We started the league a little badly," said Holme. "We were all the way at the bottom but it's become much better now.

"The last 10 to 15 games have been much better, so now we're slowly getting the results we want.

"It's a very tight league in Norway now. Almost all teams beat everybody, so hopefully we can be at least some positions higher in the league. We feel that we are going into the tie in good shape.

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Derek McInnes is taking little notice of Tromso's domestic struggles as Kilmarnock look to make it past the Norwegian side in Conference League qualifying.

Having finished third in the Eliteserien last season, Tromso are currently in a relegation battle as they sit 13th in the 16-team table.

The sides meet at Rugby Park in the first leg of the third-round qualifier on Thursday night.

"Last season was a fantastic season for them hence the reason they are in European football," said Killie boss McInnes.

"They seem to have picked up in recent weeks and when you look at the league they are only a few points away from fifth.

"They look a good side. The polar opposite to Cercle Bruges, who were very direct with their play and press you high. Tromso are more a transitional team and want to bring you on to them.

"They have some good youngsters and some experienced players. They are a capable team.

“I thought their performance against Rosenborg at the weekend [1-0 defeat] was decent but I’ve spoken to the players and we did our video work on Tromso today.

"We have got to show the players we know what we are dealing with. But I want to get over to the players it’s what we do."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League third qualifying round first-leg meeting with Tromso.

Here are the key points:

• McInnes has told his players to "embrace" the rare and exciting opportunity to play in Europe and to put in "two really strong performances" to reach the coveted play-offs.

• He adds: "We believe can get through it and I'm sure Tromso will be thinking the same."

• On Tromso, the manager says they are a "good side" who have the "advantage" of being midway through their league season.

• The opposition have "picked up in recent weeks" and remain "very capable" despite league form slump.

• Tromso are a "transitional team" who are less direct than "polar opposite" Cercle Bruges.

• McInnes confirms Joe Wright and Robbie Deas return to the squad. Corrie Ndaba, Kyle Magennis and Marley Watkins are out injured.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

As a Kilmarnock fan for over half a century, I've witnessed many highs and lows but the trip to Bruges last week was undoubtedly my favourite away trip ever.

Along with another 3000 Killie fans, we took over the stunning Flemish city and although the result went against us, the memories that were made will never be forgotten.

Of course we have another upcoming European adventure against Tromso, however clubs like Killie do not have the squad depth to perform consistently with such a busy fixture list.

That was never more evident than when we travelled to Celtic on Sunday and looked like a team at the end of a long hard season rather than at the outset.

It may well be a few weeks down the line before we get a settled line-up who will try and emulate last season's excellent top six finish.

After the Norwegians on Thursday we welcome St Johnstone to the plastic fantastic on Sunday and that's a game we need to be winning to get our season up and running.

It's a hectic schedule, but I'm loving every minute of it.

Sandy Armour is the editor of the Killie Hippo fanzine